CVE-2025-5784: Phpgurukul Employee Record System SQLi

CVE-2025-5784 Overview

CVE-2025-5784 is a SQL injection vulnerability in PHPGurukul Employee Record Management System version 1.3. The flaw resides in the /myexp.php script, where the emp3ctc parameter is passed to backend database queries without proper sanitization. Attackers can manipulate this parameter remotely to inject arbitrary SQL statements. The exploit details have been disclosed publicly, increasing the risk of opportunistic attacks against exposed installations. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component).

Critical Impact
Remote authenticated attackers can manipulate the emp3ctc parameter in /myexp.php to execute arbitrary SQL queries against the application database.

Affected Products

PHPGurukul Employee Record Management System 1.3
CPE: cpe:2.3:a:phpgurukul:employee_record_management_system:1.3
Deployments using the vulnerable /myexp.php endpoint

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-06 - CVE-2025-5784 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-5784

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input in the /myexp.php script. The emp3ctc parameter is incorporated directly into a SQL query string without parameterization or input sanitization. An attacker submitting crafted input alters the query logic, enabling extraction or modification of database content.

The attack requires network access and low-privilege authentication. No user interaction is required. Successful exploitation impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the application data at a limited scope. The current EPSS score indicates a moderate likelihood of exploitation activity relative to other published vulnerabilities.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation and the use of string concatenation when building SQL statements. The application does not apply prepared statements or escape special characters in the emp3ctc argument before passing it to the MySQL backend. This pattern is consistent with [CWE-74] injection flaws found throughout legacy PHP applications that rely on direct query construction.

Attack Vector

An attacker authenticates to the application with any valid low-privilege account and sends a crafted HTTP request to /myexp.php with a malicious payload in the emp3ctc parameter. Because the parameter terminates the original SQL context, the attacker appends UNION SELECT statements, boolean-based blind queries, or time-based payloads to extract data. The exploit can be initiated remotely over standard HTTP/HTTPS, and proof-of-concept details have been disclosed publicly through GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB CTI ID #311332.

No verified exploitation code is available from authoritative sources. Refer to the VulDB entry for further technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-5784

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /myexp.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION, SELECT, SLEEP(, or comment sequences in the emp3ctc parameter
Unusual database error responses returned to clients accessing /myexp.php
Web server access logs showing repeated requests to /myexp.php from a single source with varying emp3ctc values

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that inspect query string and POST parameters for SQL injection signatures targeting emp3ctc
Enable MySQL general query logging to identify malformed or unexpected query structures originating from the application
Correlate authentication logs with web request logs to identify low-privilege accounts probing /myexp.php

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor for anomalous response sizes and response times from /myexp.php, which can indicate UNION-based or time-based blind SQL injection
Alert on database queries containing INFORMATION_SCHEMA, BENCHMARK, or SLEEP originating from the web application user
Track outbound data volume from the database server to detect bulk data exfiltration following injection

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-5784

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the Employee Record Management System to trusted internal users until a vendor patch is available
Disable or remove the /myexp.php endpoint if it is not required for business operations
Audit application database accounts and revoke unnecessary privileges to limit the impact of a successful injection

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no vendor advisory or patched release has been published by PHPGurukul. Operators should monitor the PHP Gurukul Home website for updated releases and apply patches when available.

Workarounds

Implement a WAF rule blocking SQL metacharacters and keywords in the emp3ctc parameter sent to /myexp.php
Apply input validation at a reverse proxy layer to enforce strict type and length constraints on the emp3ctc value
Migrate the application database user to a least-privilege account that cannot read sensitive tables or perform schema changes

bash

# Example ModSecurity rule to block SQL injection attempts against emp3ctc
SecRule ARGS:emp3ctc "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1005784,phase:2,deny,status:403,\
    msg:'CVE-2025-5784 SQLi attempt on /myexp.php emp3ctc parameter'"